The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed Schwalbe (German for "Swallow") in fighter versions, or Sturmvogel ("Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt.

The Messerschmitt Me 262 was a German World War II fighter aircraft built by Messerschmitt in the later stages of the war, and under license by Avia post-war. Messerschmitt began work on a single-seat jet-powered fighter before the start of World War II. The initial design was known as Projekt 1070 (P.1070).

German Messerschmitt fighter - bomber A2a and interceptor A1a, the first jet-fighter in combat. History, development, service, specifications, pictures and 3D model. Me 262 A-1a as a museum plane today. Type: German jet fighter, interceptor, fighter-bomber and night-fighter.

Developed from a 1938 design by the Messerschmitt company, the Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational turbojet aircraft. First flown under jet power on July 18, 1942, it proved much faster than conventional airplanes.

The world's first operational jet fighter, the Me-262 Schwalbe, was powered by two Junkers Jumo 004 B turbine engines and had sleekly swept wings and a powerful armament of four 30-mm cannons.

The Messerschmitt Me 262 was the world’s first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Its initial conception actually predates World War II, but problems with the engines delayed its Luftwaffe service until mid-1944. The aircraft’s design was perhaps …

Jan 26, 2018 · Willy Messerschmitt’s Me-262 was not quite the game changer it might have been if produced earlier and in greater numbers, but after its 1944 debut, air combat would never be the same.

Mar 6, 2025 · During World War II, Germany introduced the Me 262, the first operational jet fighter in history. Unlike its British counterparts, which relied on older centrifugal-flow jet engines, the Me 262 pioneered axial-flow turbojets—the foundation of modern jet propulsion.

Feb 6, 2019 · Entering service in April 1944, the Me 262 was used in two primary roles. The Me 262 A-1a "Schwalbe" (Swallow) was developed as a defensive interceptor while the Me 262 A-2a "Sturmvogel" (Stormbird) was created as a fighter-bomber. The Stormbird variant was designed at Hitler's insistence.

Messerschmitt Me 262A at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Who would have though that the world’s first operational jet fighter would start out as a tail dragger, but that’s exactly what happened with the development of the Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow).